Customer Reviews

Ginseng: How to Find, Grow, and Use America's Forest Gold

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I remember enjoying the bounty of the land with my grandparents - leeks, real maple syrup, venison, wild strawberries, and shin shang. What is shin shang? It is one of our areas best-kept secrets, American ginseng. Wild American Ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, is indigenous to southern Canada and the eastern and Midwestern United States, and the book, Ginseng, How to find, Grow, and Use America's Forest Gold by Kim Derek Pitts will tell you all you want to know about it. The book covers topics such as: ginseng cultivation, history, harvesting, hunting and conserving wild ginseng, and use of ginseng in traditional herbal medicine.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" a children's book about a barn cat who wanted more out of life, and editor "Of A Predatory Heart" outdoor stories that will make you smile, laugh, and bring a tear to your eye.

This book told me everything I wanted to know about finding ginseng in the wild -- yes there is wild ginseng in the United States, and it is valuable. The detail was amazing, as was the history of the American plant dating back to George Washington. I learned how to grow ginseng and prepare it for sale. I also found a list of businesses that sell the seeds to get you started, and a list of buyers who will purchase all the ginseng you can find or grow. The color photos were a real help. Best of all, I found over $100 of ginseng while hiking one day. What a trip!

This book is really in depth. I would recommend this read to anyone trying to get into Sengin or just wanting to learn more about the plant. A couple of the old timers around where I live were impressed by the book's information. They learned a thing or two and have been Sengin for a collective 60 years. Don't know if it helped them step up their game but it is definitely worth while.